Mapping and measuring the ecological embeddedness of food supply chains

The status of nature in food systems is the subject of this paper, which looks into the ecological embeddedness of the Austrian food system both on the national level and in a regional case study. By a first attempt to measure and map ecological embeddedness, the author intends to contribute to the operationalisation of the embeddedness concept, which is characterised as ambivalent, fuzzy and dynamic (see e.g., [Goodman, D., 2003. The quality ‘turn’ and alternative food practices: reflections and agenda. Editorial. Journal of Rural Studies 19 (1), 1-7; Markusen, A., 1999. Fuzzy concepts, scanty evidence, policy distance: the case for rigour and policy relevance in critical regional studies. Regional Studies 33, 869-884; Hess, M., 2004. ‘Spatial’ relationships? Towards a reconceptualization of embeddedness. Progress in Human Geography 28 (2), 165-186]). The paper starts with a critical outline of the academic discourse on embeddedness in food chain studies. In the second section, general developments in the Austrian food system and their ecological implications are illustrated for the national level. Thereafter in a case study, the author tries to map and measure the ecological embeddedness of two conventional bread chains. The focus on conventional food chains provides a contrast with the growing body of embeddedness studies concentrating on alternative food chains. The author concludes that for both conventional as well as alternative food chains, the mode of ecological embeddedness or the degree of a food chain’s commitment to particular landscapes could become important factors for the maintenance, enhancement and capture of ecological value.     

试论中西地理思想的差异及中国古代地理学的特点

中国古代有独持的地理学的理论与成就,西方科学家称之为“东方文化生态”。其中,”天人合一”的地理观;天、地、生、人各系统之间的整体、有机观体现了中国古代地理学的特点。深入发掘中国古代的地理学思想,对当今建立开放、复杂的地理巨系统有现实意义。     

美国国家生态观测站网络(NEON)--概念、设计和进展

美国国家生态观测站网络（NEON）是一个以研究区域至大陆尺度重要环境问题的国家网络,它是由美国国家科学基金会（NSF）于2000年提出建立的。NEON的目标是通过网络式的观测、试验、研究和综合分析,阐明环境变化的成因和后果,预测环境变化的趋势并提出相应的对策。它是一个由17个区域网络组成的国家生态学研究和环境教育平台。该网络的建成,将为促进生态学的发展、人才培养以及保障美国的生物和生态安全发挥重要作用。由美国国家科学院国家研究委员会的地球与生命研究部任命的专家委员会于2003—2004年对NEON的原设计和建设方案进行了评估,充分肯定了建立NEON的必要性,但同时对原设计和建设方案提出了一些重大修改意见。新的方案建议NEON应重点关注生物多样性、物种组成与生态系统功能、生物地球化学循环的生态学影响、气候变化的生态学内涵、传染病的生态学和演化、入侵种以及土地利用和栖息地的丧失这6个美国国家层次当前所面临的最严峻的环境挑战。未来的NEON将由研究这些问题所设置的6个国家网络组成。深入研究NEON的概念、设计方案和实施计划,对于我国国家生态观测和研究网络的建设具有重要的参考意义。     

环境生态系统散落核素示踪研究新进展

环境生态系统中的放射性核素既具有生态毒性,对生物和人体健康产生重要影响,又具有稳定的衰变函数和输入通量,对环境生态系统具有重要示踪价值。人类可利用放射性核素来认识环境生态系统:①环境生态系统中放射性核素的基准:放射性强度与环境生态系统之间的平衡关系;②环境生态系统中放射性核素的行为:在环境生态系统不同宿体和组分间的运移关系。考察放射性核素在生态系统不同环节中比活度的变化有助于认识环境生态过程生物地球化学作用的影响。       

北京市生态农业地质及其前景

论述了北京市土壤元素含量和农作物优质高产与土壤环境中化学元素有密切的关系。提出了生态农业地质研究的目的、内容、方法、管理及其前景。     

景观地球化学研究现状与进展

在界定景观及景观地球化学研究对象及内容的基础上，概述了景观地球化学的思想和研究方法，其中整体论是各种研究方法的基础，非常规研究方法将占据重要地位。同时，对国内外景观地球化学研究的现状及进展进行综述与分析。提出单学科深入与多学科交叉整合发展是2l世纪景观地球化学研究发展的趋势，也是其在地球系统科学研究和实施“可持续发展”战略中发挥重要作用的关键。     

Human–wildlife conflict and gender in protected area borderlands: A case study of costs, perceptions, and vulnerabilities from Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal), India

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is a growing problem for communities located at the borders of protected areas. Such conflicts commonly take place as crop-raiding events and as attack by wild animals, among other forms. This paper uses a feminist political ecology approach to examine these two problems in an agricultural village located at the border of Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand (formerly Uttaranchal), India. Specifically, it investigates the following three questions: What are the “visible” and “hidden” costs of such conflict with wildlife? To what extent are these costs differentially borne by men and women? How do villagers perceive any such differences? Survey and interview data were collected from over 100 individuals in the study site over a period of 9 months in 2003–2004. It was found that for participants in this study, costs of HWC included decreased food security, changes to workload, decreased physical and psychological wellbeing, economic hardship, and at times an increase in illegal or dangerous activities. The research also showed that although women in the study area bore a disproportionate burden of these effects, roughly half of survey respondents perceived that men and women were equally affected. A possible explanation for this gap considers the relationships between gendered uses of space, work, status, and identity. The findings illustrate the importance of addressing both visible and hidden costs of HWC for members of park communities and support a call for increased gender-sensitivity in HWC research.     

应用非线性科学方法建立环境与生态综合理论体系的探讨

阐述建立环境与生态的综合理论体系的必要性和迫切性，综述非线性科学方法在地学中的应用现状；展望应用非线性科学方法建立环境与生态的综合理论体系的前景。